Oil-well-cleaning apparatus.



R. GREGORY L VV. E. IVIINTON.

OIL WELL CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5, ISIS.

Patented July 2,1918.

RALPH GREGORY, OF MOUNT WASHINGTON, AND WILLIAM E. MINTON, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

OIL-WELL-CLEANING APPARATUS.

imitar.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 5, 1918. SeriallNo. 216,124.

To all whom 'it 'may concern.'

Be it known that we, RALPH GREGORY and VILLIAM E. MINTON, citizens of the United States, residing at Mount Washington and Kansas City, respectively, in the county of,

Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oil-lVell-Cleaning Apparatus, of which the following is a Specification.

This invention relates to oil well cleaning apparatus, and more especially to means for cleaning the interior of well casings and the interstices of the strainers thereof, of sand, shale, paraffin and the like, which interfere with the flow of oil into the strainers and the lower end of the casing, Vand hence with the operation and productivity of the well.

The object of the invention is to produce means whereby matter accumulated on the interior of the casing and strainer, can be efficiently and expeditiously and economically scraped off and then washed up through the casing, a further object being to force clogging sand, shale, paraffin and the like o utward from thev interstices 0f and t0 an extent away from the strainer for the purpose of giving the oil more unobstructed access to the strainer to insure pumping operation under the most favorable conditions and hence maximum output.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel and useful features of construction and `combinations of parts as hereinafter described and claimed: and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1, is a broken elevational View, partly in vertical section, of an oil well equipped with cleaning apparatus embodying the invention.

Fig. 2, is a full-size cross section on the line lI-H of Fig. 1, of the pipe line within the casing, certain elements of the apparatus appearing in top plan view.

Fig. 3, is a similar v iew taken onthc line III-III of Fig. 1, to disclose certain of the cleaning elements in horizontal section.

Fig. 4, is a view projected from Fig. 2,'

one half appearing in side elevation and the remainder in central vertical section.

Fig. 5, isa central vertical sectlon of the scraper-carrying fitting or nozzle and lower end ofthe pipe line of an oil well.

In the said drawing where like reference characters identify corresponding parts. 1 indicates the casing of an oil well, 2 the strainer depending from the casing, and 3 the pipe line extending down into and termlnating within the casing above the bottom of the strainer, these parts being of Well known construction and arrangement except in the fact that the lower end of the strainer herein is tapered to conform to a scraper hereinafter described.

Secured at any desired point of .vertical adjustment on-the pipe line by means of one or more set screws #1, is a perforated fitting or jet nozzle 5, and the same is provided at its underside with one or more cross-grooves 6, for the reception of the lower ends of one 0r bowed scraper springs 7, it being preferable to provide two double springs as shown, and

`secure them at the point where they cross on the bottom of the fitting,or intersect if all springs are formed from a single piece of steel as suggested by the showing in Fig. 5,-by means of a bolt 8 extending into the fitting and retained in position by a nut 9, within said fitting. Y

The upper ends of the scraper springs or arms fit slidingly in vertical grooves 10, formed externally upon a collar 11` rigidly secured upon the pipe line by one or more set-screws 12, it being obvious that this construction makes provision for vertical adjustment of the collar should it be desired to lengthen in effect, the operative portion of the scraper. By such adjustment the scraper would, through its resilience, tend to expand. It will. therefore be seen that the scraper will accommodate casings of different diameter. Plates 13 are shown for retaining the ends of the said scraper springs in grooves l0, and said plates are secured to the collar by rivets 14 or the like, the rivets extending through longitudinal slots 15 in the springs to guard against the accidental dislocation of the springs from the grooves. It is obvious that the connection described for allowing up and down play between the scraper and thecollar and preventing independent rotative movement thereof, may be varied without departing from the principle of construction involved. It will also be more vertically-arranged outwardly` Patenten .any a, isis.

sa'k

seen that expansion of the scraper can be effected by vertical adjustment of 'the per-y forated tting or nozzle, but that if eX- panded through such adjustment, the jet discharge capacity of the fitting or nozzle will be correspondingly enlarged through the uncovering of a greater number of the perforations or jet openings.l

p Assuming that the interior of the casing or strainer requires cleaning and that such result cannot be accomplished by washing alone, that is by pumping water under high pressure down through the perforated fitting or nozzle, the attendant will employ any suitable means for imparting rotation tothe pipe line within the casing and at the same time permit or cause the pipe line to move downward-the combined move- 'ment being a spiral or screwing action so that the scraper shall be caused to thoroughly scrape the interior surface of the strainer and of the casing also if necessary, it being noted in this connection that the lower end `of the strainer conforming to the lower half of the scraper, may be scraped to its lower end. After the interior of the well is scraped as described, a pump, not

shown, is connected to force water down through the pipe line to wash out the well.

VIf the above operations are unsuccessful in starting a proper flow of oil, a cap 16, is secured .upon the upper end of the casing around the' pipe line,fand a packing gland 17, is secured to the cap for packing the joint between the pipe line and cap. The pump or its equivalent is then connected to force water or otherl liquid under heavy pressure down through the pipe line so that it shall jet with great force against the strainer and gradually fill the casing, after which the pumping action is continued to transmit the power developed, through the fluid with which the casing is fully charged, to the strainer tovforce out of the interstices thereof any sand, shale, parafiin or other matter tending to prevent oil from entering thestrainer.

From the above description it will be apparent that we have produced oil well cleaning apparatus -embodying the features of advantage set forth in the statement of the object of the invention, and while we have illustrated'the preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that it is susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit and scop ofthe appended claims.

We claim: y

1. The combination with the pipe line within an oil well casing, of a resilient scraper secured to the pipe line and bowed outwardly therefrom to engage the interior .':if the casing; said scraper having an interi" to insure continuous contact with the in-r terior Surface of the casing.

2. The combination with the pipe line within an oil welll casing, of a `resilient scraper secured to the pipe line and bowed outwardly therefrom to engage the interior of the casing; said scraper having an interlocked relation to the pipe line as regards rotative movement and a longitudinal play connection therewith to permit of variation in the degree of bow, and means for manually increasing the degree of bow in said scraper.

3. The combination with the pipe line within an oil well, of a resilient outwardlybowed scraper rigidly affixed at one end to said pipe line and having a vertical playV the pipe line. a bowed spring scraper sey cured to the pipe line and having an interlocked relation thereto as regards rotative movement and a longitudinal play connection therewith to permit of variation in the degree of bow.

6. The combination with the pipe line within an-oil well, a collar adjustably secured upon said pipe line, and an outwardlybowed spring scraper secured in fixed relation .to the pipe line 4and having an interlocked relation to the collar as regards rotative movement thereof and an up and down play connection therewith.

7 `The combination with the pipe line within an oil 4well, a perforated fitting, adj ustable on the pipe line, to utilize the latter for closing a varying number of the perforations or jet openings of said fitting, and an outwardly-bowed spring scraper extending longitudinally of the pipe line and secured at its lower end lto said fitting and at its upper end having an interlocked rotative relation and an up and down play connection with said pipe line.

In testimony whereof tures.

RALPH GREGORY. WILLIAM'E. MINTON.y

we affix `our signa- 

